24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 50

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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24-Hour Friendly Market Specializing in Dimensional Items Episode 50

Episode 50. The Arrow That Left the Bowstring (9)

Hanromi carefully cradled the small flowerpot where purple leaves glowed mysteriously.

I had no idea what that small plant meant to Hanromi, or what she wanted to create with it.

Still, seeing Hanromi, who usually showed faint emotions, hugging the flowerpot tightly was quite fascinating.

“I’ll be going now…”

“I hope you’ll save many lives.”

“That’s what will happen…”

Hanromi slowly walked away, her gaze fixed on the flowerpot.

Now Hanromi would go to Prorobello and join the raid team.

Only after the sound of bare feet stepping on grass faded away did Gillieard burst into hearty laughter.

“I thought she’d give up in about 10 minutes, but she actually finished organizing everything.”

Gillieard’s shell, as he laughed, was smooth and clean unlike before.

The two hours of hardship spent cleaning that flashed by like a panorama, making me murmur wistfully.

“She must have really wanted it.”

“Hey, you too. I just made her do it to chase that human away, but I didn’t expect you to stick with her till the end.”

‘This old geezer?’

My hands were still tingling and driving me crazy, so if he was thinking of showing such kindness, he could have helped out earlier.

Perhaps my resentment leaked through my facial muscles, as Gillieard let out another laugh.

“So, what did you need that made you go through all that trouble?”

Gillieard tilted his head and looked at me as if telling me to speak up.

The nuisance was gone too.

Now it was finally time to ask what I was truly curious about.

I opened my mouth to Gillieard, who was wearing a benevolent smile.

“Do you know about the Ancient Oath?”

At that moment, Gillieard’s expression changed dramatically.

The affectionate grandfather figure he had shown just moments ago disappeared instantly.

What replaced it was the solemn face that only ‘one who bears the duty of records’ could possess.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, I want to know. About the Ancient Oath.”

It seemed like beating around the bush wouldn’t work.

I nodded heavily, matching the weight of responsibility that Gillieard carried.

“Come inside. Let’s talk while having some tea.”

Gillieard slowly entered the house.

The interior, filled with just the right warmth and lived-in feeling accumulated over Gillieard’s lifetime, was cozy.

The scents of earth and grass wafting from various places, and the comforting aroma of tea.

However, even after emptying half his tea and letting the teacup cool down, Gillieard didn’t open his mouth.

‘What’s this? Is this something so serious that he needs to think this hard about it?’

Normal people would wait when the other person was contemplating with such a serious face, but I was in a somewhat impatient state.

I asked carefully.

“Is it a difficult story?”

“That’s not it. It’s just…”

Gillieard, who had been staring at me for a long time, finally opened his mouth with a troubled expression after several more minutes passed.

“That’s… something I don’t know either.”

“Pardon?”

I became like a raccoon whose cotton candy had been washed away, tilting my head in confusion.

He had confirmed my sincerity so seriously that I thought there was something big, but wait, did I just get fooled?

Just as I was about to protest, feeling like I’d been scammed, Gillieard slowly continued.

“To be precise, it’s something I’ve forgotten. Something I can’t remember at all.”

Honestly, my first thought was that it could happen, couldn’t it?

Gillieard wouldn’t have made the Ancient Oath himself, and if he had only heard about it, he could have forgotten.

But Gillieard meant something completely different from what I was thinking.

“Turtle beastkin have a special ability. The ability to pass memories to their descendants. That’s why we came to bear the duty of records.”

“…Then you remember everything?”

“That’s right. That’s how it should be normally.”

Gillieard let out a deep sigh and continued.

“I’ve lived with questions for a very long time. About the memory that beastkin and humans reconciled through the Ancient Oath and lived without hating each other. Because there was no such peace in my memory, at least.”

Was there some serious story behind this?

I hardened my expression and listened quietly.

What he was saying now sounded like everything related to ‘peace’ had been completely forgotten.

‘Just like before the Kantana Peace Treaty mentioned in the scenario.’

Beastkin and humans who had waged bloody wars.

They came to coexist for a hundred years through the Kantana Peace Treaty.

But now that they were at war again, it was no different from before that treaty was made.

“Records definitely exist stating that beastkin and humans achieved peace through the Ancient Oath. Since our ancestors’ records don’t lie, it must have really happened.”

From those words, I realized the identity of the Ancient Oath.

“Could that be the Kantana Peace Treaty?”

Gillieard’s small eyes widened upon hearing my question.

“How do you know about that?”

Bingo.

Then the only way to achieve unity between the two races was to revive the Ancient Oath, namely the Kantana Peace Treaty.

“On the day the Ancient Oath was made, beastkin and humans named this oath the Kantana Peace Treaty.”

“Why was such an important treaty broken?”

“I can give you an answer to that right away. It’s because the Magic Tower collapsed.”

“The Magic Tower?”

The truly unexpected appearance of the Magic Tower.

I asked with a puzzled tone.

“What connection does the Magic Tower’s collapse have with the treaty?”

“The Ancient Oath wasn’t just made with words. They engraved that oath on some object, received Oerisa’s blessing, and stored it in the Magic Tower. According to the records, that is.”

“That was stored in the Magic Tower?”

“Yes, but the Magic Tower has already been buried by Agemor’s Erosion, and the other objects inside must have been tainted by Agemor’s Erosion too. Agemor’s Erosion destroys everything.”

Gillieard muttered gloomily.

‘Does this mean the engraving was also tainted by Agemor’s Erosion?’

If so, I could roughly piece the situation together.

The item with the Ancient Oath engraved on it was destroyed, breaking the treaty.

The relationship between beastkin and humans also returned to how it was before the treaty.

Ah, I just want to set up one representative each from beastkin and humans and force them to shake hands and share a reconciliation hug.

Though it’s not even worth considering since they’d draw swords and try to kill each other the moment they meet.

‘In the end, I need to restore that item.’

It would be great if I could solve it with my Repair skill.

I nodded my head and asked another question.

“What is that object?”

Gillieard didn’t find me annoying for becoming a question bot and answered calmly.

“That object’s name is ‘Paroxia’. Its form isn’t recorded. Whether it’s a sword, an accessory, or just an ordinary document, no one knows.”

Paroxia.

The fact that I, as an Open Market Manager, knew the name meant I was quite ready to use underhanded methods.

[0 search results for ‘Paroxia’]

Unfortunately, there were no search results for ‘Paroxia’.

‘Ah, was I just lucky last time?’

I clicked my tongue lightly.

This time it wasn’t going to be the easy route.

“Perhaps a survivor from the Magic Tower escaped with it… no, that’s unlikely.”

I tried to consider the possibility, but what came to mind was Onak’s healthy smile.

‘Well, all the mages were wiped out.’

‘Why?’

‘Because we killed them all.’

I was so dumbfounded at the time that I could only stare blankly without saying anything…

Still, my destination was decided.

I’d have to be careful since Agemor’s erosion was said to be effective even on Awakened ones.

‘I need to go to the Magic Tower and find this thing called Paroxia.’

I had other reasons to go to the Magic Tower anyway.

Since the mages of the Magic Tower were the ones who conducted Tower of Babel research until the very end, their research materials should still be there.

I could progress the scenario and resolve my personal matters too.

Killing two birds with one stone.

Thinking positively made me feel a bit better, so I smiled lightly.

Seeing my smile, Gilliard smiled along with me.

Then he patted me with eyes filled with apologetic feelings.

“I think I’ve told you everything in the records. I wish I had something left in my memory…”

“It’s fine, that was helpful enough.”

I should be able to find out something once I go to the Magic Tower.

“The Magic Tower is in that direction. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”

“Not at all. That was plenty.”

I smiled brightly at Gilliard, who kept apologizing.

There must still be hatred toward humans living in a corner of Gilliard’s heart.

I didn’t dislike this elderly beastkin who expressed gratitude to me for the simple reason that I had somehow saved Clara.

Rather, it warmed my heart, as if the wounds I received from seeing Capybara James’s cynicism had been healed.

“The tea was delicious too.”

I showed him the teacup I had completely emptied.

It really wasn’t something to be sorry about, but watching someone apologize was rather uncomfortable.

He even packed herbs and food that would help relieve leg fatigue, thinking I was going to walk there.

But I was going to ride Nokgacheon…

‘Should I just walk until I’m out of sight?’

I couldn’t make the kindness of this elderly, caring adult meaningless.

“Take care.”

“Please tell Echo I’ll definitely come visit next time.”

I waved to Gilliard, who somehow seemed closer now, and turned around without hesitation.

My destination was the Magic Tower.

I was about to slowly follow the path through the grass that Hanromi had taken, but stopped.

“By the way, Mr. Gilliard.”

Something strange suddenly occurred to me.

“Do you have another question?”

I slowly turned around.

Something unsettling was floating around in my head.

“You said Paroxia received the blessing of the goddess Oerisa. Then shouldn’t Paroxia be kept in Prorobel?”

There was one characteristic of Floor 51 that you could tell just by looking around briefly – this dimension had very strong religious faith.

Then Paroxia, which received a goddess’s blessing, should naturally be kept in the sanctuary.

But Gilliard’s response was unexpected.

“The sanctuary hasn’t existed for very long. It was only created a few years ago.”

“A few years?”

Could a place that was only a few years old be called a sanctuary?

I was wondering if my concept was different, having come from Earth where ancient cathedrals boasted hundreds of years of majesty, when…

Gilliard said something shocking.

“There’s a reason Prorobel is called a sanctuary.”

“What is it?”

“The sanctuary is a space completely filled with holy power, and it’s certainly blessed by Lady Oerisa, but… no one can enter it.”

“No one can enter?”

“Both beastkin and humans wish to enter the sanctuary, but… the sanctuary has never allowed anyone to enter.”

“…”

“The reason beastkin and humans fight is partly due to instinctive hatred, but also because of the belief that only the victor can enter Prorobel.”

My goodness.

The moment I heard those words, what automatically came to mind was the raid team.

Right now, the raid team was trying to grab something that was completely out of reach.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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